Devendra Banhart Covers Early Marc Bolan Tune for Upcoming Tribute Album

Created and produced by the late Hal Willner, the upcoming tribute album, Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan and T. Rex, promises to be one of the year’s best releases.

An acclaimed producer, Wilner, who passed away in April from COVID-19, also produced albums for Lou Reed, Marianne Faithfull and William S. Burroughs, and concept albums drawing upon the music of Thelonious Monk, Kurt Weill, vintage Disney films and others. 

Earlier this year, Nick Cave’s cover of “Cosmic Dancer,” which accompanied the album’s announcement in late April, was released.

Now, Devendra Banhart has issued his take on the early Marc Bolan composition “Scenescof,” originally released on Tyrannosaurus Rex’s 1968 debut album My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair… when Bolan was just 20 years old.  

“I was completely in love with Marc Bolan, from John’s Children to Dandy in the Underworld and everything in between,” says Devendra Banhart. “I remember the feeling of freedom I got from ‘Scenescof’ — ‘I don’t need anyone to dictate all my fun smile your smile and then run.’ That line gave me the courage to carve out a little bit of fantasy in my life back in my late teens…. But now, the song will be inextricably linked with mourning; it was the last time I was in a studio with my dear dear friend Hal Willner … I haven’t even begun to process the heartbreak of that loss… we were just texting about Jerry Lewis and sending each other links to funny videos and weird songs and two weeks later he was gone…. Hal had the coolest, calmest demeanor… the kind that comes from having had really been through some shit and come out of it still caring about life, the world, and art…. I will miss him terribly…..to two angel headed hipsters, I’m honored to be a part of this tribute album ….”

On Angelheaded Hipster, Willner brings together a wide-ranging cast to reimagine Bolan’s greatest songs – including Banhart and Cave as well as Marc Almond, Børns, Helga Davis, Elysian Fields, Perry Farrell, Gavin Friday, Emily Haines, Jesse Harris, Joan Jett, Kesha, King Khan, Sean Lennon & Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Nena, Maria McKee, Father John Misty, John Cameron Mitchell, Gaby Moreno, Beth Orton, Peaches, Todd Rundgren, U2 Feat. Elton John, Lucinda Williams and Victoria Williams with Julian Lennon.

Willner worked on AngelHeaded Hipster for several years, with sessions spanning continents, from New York, Los Angeles and New Orleans to London, Paris and Berlin. The project was conceived and executive produced by Bill Curbishley and Ethan Silverman. Kate Hyman had the creative vision to ask Willner to produce it.

Bolan was a folk pop troubadour, and has been famously cited as a major influence by some of the biggest names in music from David Bowie to Johnny Marr. He died in 1977.